Arkansas Blog

Internet sales tax bill advances

A Senate committee today approved the House-passed bill to require Internet merchants to compile and provide customers with records of their purchases in Arkansas and the sales taxes due even if they don't have physical presences here.

Such legislation — given its effort and expense — has prompted Internet merchants elsewhere to begin voluntarily collecting sales taxes from customers. The tax is technically owed and always has been. But absent a requirement for merchants to collect it, customers rarely have paid it to the state and local governments.

Amazon has already announced its intention to begin collecting sales taxes in Arkansas next month. Also pending is a Senate bill to require collection of the taxes, something that would require a change in court precedent to sort out.